Diary
November 2019 Meeting
Unfortunately, due to unexpected and unavoidable work commitments at Newcastle University, Dr Annie Tindley is unable to present her talk on Andrew Carnegie to the Dunfermline Historical Society as planned. Annie hopes to be able to re-arrange her talk to us for next season instead.
In the meantime, on 21st November 2019, Honorary President George Robertson will present a new talk on
“The Rolland Family, Ropemakers of Dunfermline – and other places .”
As usual, this will take place at 7:30 pm, in the Abbey Church Halls and all members and visitors will be welcome.
Secessionist Rev. Ralph Erskine
Wed 6th November 2019
12:30 pm, Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries, £3.00
Hon. President George Robertson will discuss the story of the Rev Ralph Erskine’s life as a Minister in Dunfermline and his struggle with the Established Church in Scotland, and how, with other Ministers, he seceded from that Church. His “miraculous birth” after the “death” of his mother will be discussed as will his marriage to a “lassie from Lassodie”.
October 2019 Meeting
17th October 2019
Ian Scott, “James Watt”
7:30 pm in the Abbey Church Halls, Dunfermline.
2019 is the 200th Anniversary of the death of James Watt, one of the most influential of the pioneering engineers of the industrial revolution. Those of you who were on the DHS outing to Kinneil House in 2016 will remember the brief biography we were given then, by James Watt himself, apparently, so we are very lucky to have a historian from Falkirk visiting to tell us more about him.
Ian Scott was Assistant Principal at Falkirk College where he taught history for a number of years. He has been both Director and national Chairman of the Saltire Society. Ian’s main interest is the history of the Falkirk area and he has written several books on the subject including Falkirk: a History published in 2006. He has written over 400 historical articles for the Falkirk Herald and was a founder member of Falkirk Local History Society in 1981.
September 2019 Meeting
19th September 2019
Dunfermline Historical Society, 7:30pm
Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, “Scotland and the Slave Trade”
Sir Godfrey Henry Palmer OBE is Professor Emeritus in the School of Life Sciences at Heriot-Watt University and a human rights activist. In his academic career as a botanist, he specialised in grain science and brewing and has been honoured with multiple honorary degrees and scientific awards.
Sir Geoff is also deeply involved in charity work and the promotion of human rights. He has written many newspaper articles on education and race relations and a book on the history of slavery, The Enlightenment Abolished: Citizens of Britishness. He is the Honorary President of the Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council. In 1989, he became the first black professor in Scotland, becoming a professor emeritus after he retired in 2005. He was knighted in the 2014 New Year Honours List.
As usual we meet in the Abbey Church Halls for the first meeting of our new session, and welcome all members, new members and visitors.
May 2019 Meeting
16th May 2019
Dunfermline Historical Society, 7:30pm
Sam Foster, Dunfermline Town Planning
Sam is an architect in Dunfermline specialising in contemporary ecological architecture. As a member of “Friends of Dunfermline” he is involved in work to regenerate the former Pilmuir Works and the town centre more generally. It should be fascinating to hear about the history of Dunfermline from Sam’s perspective.
As usual we meet in the Abbey Church Halls for our last meeting of this session, and welcome all members and visitors.